A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Use this area to post offshore fishing reports from the area. Please try to include relevant information such as:
Location, date, time, water conditions, weather conditions, baits, techniques, species caught, etc.
My dad and I finaly got a day where the weather cooperated and I got away from work so we went in search of some shallow water gags. Water temps were perfect at 66 degrees and we were armed with a variety of stretch 25s and frozen LYs. We trolled every shallow hole we have from 16 to 21 ft with no takers but small sea bass. Anchored up on a good read in 20ft and bottom fished but only short gags and sea bass to show for. It was noon by now and we said the heck with it and headed to a number weve had for years in 35ft of water that has been known to produce in the cooler months. We got about 1/2 a mile from the spot and decided to troll the stretch 25s the rest of the way to the hole. We got 2 tenths of a mile off the hole and the left reel screemed that sweet sound. The chartruse 25 had gotten smashed and I managed to get him to the boat and my pops stuck the gaff in him. First keeper of the day was a solid 25" 7lb gag. Skunk off the boat and a spin back around to troll over that spot for round two. The seccond pass on the new live bottom spot we found had the pink stretch 25 smashed with a solid gag on the end. My dad worked the fish back slowly reminding me the whole way on the fish had a lot of weight to him. We finally got a good look at him about 10 ft below th boat and it was slob. Every bit of a 30 inch gag was headed our way. He was just out of gaffing range and the sob made a surge and shook his head violently throwing the hooks. We were shattered but hey...thats fishing. We trolled to our hole with no more takers on the plugs. Once we got anchored properly on the hole it was game on for and hour and a half. The fish were hungry and were crushing dead Lys as soon as they got to the bottom. We caught gags and reds hand over foot untill we had our limit of solid fish with the shortest going 24" and the biggest at 28.5"! The seas were slick all day and the fish coopereated...what more can u ask for? Our heads were high as we were cruising at 32kts headed o the hill with a limit of gags in the box by 2pm. When we got back to the river we decided to pull off to a oyster bar we favor and give it a whirl. Well...long story short they were all pups..but we went through 50 live shrimp in an hour and lost count of redfish landed at 28. We had several double hookups and several close calls at 17.5" . I also managed a noice 5lb sheephead which we pardoned due to a cooler full of grouper. We had a heck of a day in our book and headed to the marina with SH&T eating grins on our face. Till next time...tight lines and get them GAGS...they are hungry!
FInal Tally:
4 Gags to 28.5"
12 Sea Bass
30ish short redfish
Dad with the biggest gag of the day
Dinner
The noice rinde in
The lucky sheephead that received a poardon
The Yamaha purrin away
Great work! Glad y'all did well. My wife caught a sheepie about the same size from under a dock on sat. He did not get pardoned, but invited to the AP tiki bar for fried fish sammies. I'll post the picks if I can get it figured out. Congrats for a great day on the water with your old man!
Catholic girl pray for me, you’re my only hope for heaven
. I also managed a noice 5lb sheephead which we pardoned due to a cooler full of grouper. We had a heck of a day in our book and headed to the marina with SH&T eating grins on our face. Till next time...tight lines and get them GAGS...they are hungry!
